Biography

William MacDonald was born in Castlebay, Barra, on the 19th of December 1934. His father was William Patrick from Drinishader, Harris, and his mother was Mary Cameron, daughter of Iagan 'an Chamshroin, originally from Strathglass. William was the youngest in a family of six, two girls and four boys. His father died when Uilleam was only three years old. His mother had a good voice and William was interested in music and songs from a very young age. He had a remarkable memory and learned many songs from his mother. His grandfather, John Cameron, was a piper and he learned canntaireachd from him. William was also interested in animals from a young age, especially cattle, and he would heard cattle for his neighbours from dusk until dawn.

He left school at fourteen and went to work in Oban. He had hard work there, tending to eighteen cows and waking up early each day to prepare for them, and after milking them, he had to deliver milk to the town's hotels by horse and cart. In 1953 he went to work in a dairy in Inverness and there met Doreen Sinclair, a crofter’s daughter from Caithness, who was working as a nurse. They married in 1955 and had four daughters. While in Inverness, William was a member of the Inverness Gaelic Choir and was one of the men who started the men's Gaelic choir in the town. Every summer he would sing tunes for the dancers at the Northern Meetings Park. He and his wife Doreen were members of the Inverness Gaelic Society and sang for them very often.

In the 1960s he was the shepherd for a British Aluminium company estate in Lagan. While there he was a member of the Badenoch Gaelic Choir, ceilidhs were common in both halls and houses, they had many neighbours and it was a happy time for the family. After that William got a job as the head of the dairy hands at Ballintomb Farm,in Grantown. This was a prestigious job as it was a progressive farm equipped with modern facilities and students would go there to learn about new farming methods. While in Grantown, William was chairman of the local branch of An Comunn Gàidhealach and in 1971, at the National Mòd in Stirling, he won the Gold Medal for traditional singing, a competition established that same year.

He toured Nova Scotia for two weeks in 1972 and 1974 and also toured Ireland. He appeared before the London Gaelic Society and often performed in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and in halls throughout the Highlands. William became involved in a completely different career when he went to work as a storeman at the oil works in Ardersier. His family made their home in Culloden, near Inverness, during this time. After leaving his job in the oil industry, William and Doreen lived in Ulbster, seven miles south of Wick, on a croft left to them by Doreen's parents. They renovated the house and had cattle and sheep on the land. Again, William was involved in Gaelic affairs in the community. He was in the Wick Gaelic Choir and taught and helped young singers. Among those he helped was Raymond Bremner, who won the Gold Medal at the Mòd in 1999.

William died at home on the 17th of January 2010. It is testimony to the kind of man he was that he was singing up to half an hour before he died.

We are very grateful to Doreen MacDonald, widow of Uilleam, for this information.